The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-27
WHO FOUND AMERICA.
A Writer Who Gains the Honor for the Irish
St. Brandon.


ST. Brandon.
D. B. eastman. in Boston Advertiser.
The Irish Annals record that the Irish sailor,
St Brandan, who lived from the year A. D. $50
until the beginning of the following century.
made two VOYAGES of discovery in search of 1.-THE
promised land; that after thesecond voyage The
returned no more" His precise point Of
departure is explicitly given, VIZ, from 1.-THE foot
state@ - at his store consisted of live swine
his C MONS of monks. His first voyage
abouL adventure. the dates in the legends
are Pc ely fixed. Both Humboldt and Ushe-
record tie events. The voyages of ST. Brandon
were received traditions in France, the Neither
lands, Spain and Italy soon after the northern
chroniclers had written their memoranda
concerning Irland it Mikla.
Jacobus Voraignius. provincial of the Domini.
cans and bishop of Genoa 1.-THE native CITY of
Columbus), gave ST. Brandan's land special
prominencein the thirteen century in his Golden
Legend" and Paulo Toscannelli of Florence, the
Italian geographer, on the conjectural map
of Columbus, set it down the Terra di San
Borondon" (St. Brandan's land) and marked il
on the charts as opposite Europe and Africa,
from the south of Ireland to the end of Guinea
So strong was the belief in st. Brandan's land
that even after the voyage of Columbus,
expeditions were sent to explore it This IS
proved by the dispositions taken before the grand
inquisitor of the Canaries, Pedro Ortez de
Funez, and from other Portuguese and Spanish
accounts. The last of these voyages was under
taken as late as I721 by Don Gaspar DomniGues,
Otway in his Sketches in Erris and T,.--
rawley." gives the following in a foot-note: Eve
informed that Brandan, hearing of the
western ocean, and obtaining account from
him of the happy isles he had landed on in tho
far west, determined under the strong desire OF
winning heather souls to Christ to undertake a
voyage of discovery himself. And aware that all
along the western coast of Ireland there were
many traditions respecting the existence of
western land. he proceeded to the islands of
Arran and there remained for some time, holding
communication with venerable st. Edna, and
obtaining from him much information on what
his mind was bent. There can be little doubt
that he proceeded northward along the coast of
Mayo. and made inquiry, among its bays and
islands, of the remnants of the Tuatha Danaan
Having prosecuted his Inquiries with all
diligence, Brandan returned to his native Kerry;
and from bay sheltered by the lofty mountain
that's now known by his name he set sail for the
Atlantic land and directing his course towards
the southwest. in order to meet the summer
solstice, or what we call the tropic. After a
long and rough voyage, his little barque being
well provisioned, he came to summer seas, where
he was carried along without the aid of sail or
oar for many long day. This. it is to be
presumed, was the great gulf sream, and which
brought his vessel to shore somewhere about
the Virginian capes, where the American
coast tends eastward and forms the New England
States. Here landing he and his companions
marched steadily into theinterior for fifteen days
and then came to large river. flowing from
east to west: this evidently was the river Ohio.
And this he was about TO cross when he was
accosted by person of noble presence-but
whether a real or visionary man dees not appear
who told him he had gone far enough; that
futher discoveries were reserved for other men.
who would in due time come and Christanize all
that pleasant land. The above. when clearly
tested, shows that Brandan landed on a CONT
nent and went good way into the interior,
met great river running in different direction
from those he had heretofore crossed; and here.
from difficulty of transit or want of provisions
or deferred by increasing difficulties, he turned
back"
ALI the evidences related clearly show that
'.the relative claims of two discoveries and two
discoveries of the American continent-Erikson
and Columbus-as the Boston Herald of October
% expressed it. may after all be dispelled, and
two new names taken up as fit candidates for
the honor. L have given the additional testimony
at present at hand, which I think seriously
damages Erikson's claim in favor of the Irish
sailor ST. Brandan and his monks as the first
Europeans to set foot this continent. and of
Arr Marson the first Scandinavian discoverer
of America.